Ether Breakdown
by Maria65
Summary: Keyara has a breakdown at Angiratha, but what exactly is going on? Cries of the Machina? Telethia? Monado? Can the others bring her back to her sense's, or is she forever lost to her past? Rated T because I'm paranoid. Keyara belongs to me, Willow belongs to IcyErythNights.


Keyara wandered aimlessly in Angiratha, her purple eyes scanning the tattered buildings, sorrow held deep within the purple eyes. Sighing sadly, she continued to walk around the once grand city, her mind flitting back to when she protected all the Machina, when she fought to defend the people she swore to protect like Meyneth. She stopped when she saw something off to the side, and turned toward it, seeing a statue of Meyneth.

_'It still stands.'_ Keyara thought fondly, walking toward it with a small smile.

Stopping before the statue, she examined it, hoping against hope that nothing had been damage. She smiled in joy when she realized the statue was still in perfect condition, if not a bit dusty. Her smile soon faded though as she remembered being attacked just a little ways over, and as she turned to look at the spot where the Monado had nearly destroyed her, she heard something.

"Huh? Is someone there?" Keyara asked, looking around.

She heard something like a groan, and kept looking around. She kept hearing things, unaware her eyes were slowly turning red, before she felt and harsh ether wave hit her. She screamed in pain as she felt the emotion's of the battle rush through her, as she heard the cries of the Machina villager's were killed, as she felt their pain.

_'Are spirits still lingering here?'_ Keyara wondered, as ether pulse around her, before her vision flickered from the present to the past.

She gasped, eyes still red as she saw Machina run past her, trying to save themselves. She glanced to her right hand, seeing what should've been a normal sword, to see the Monado. Fear flashed in her eyes, and she turned to run, believing she saw a Telethia chase her, when in reality, it was a Mechon. She jumped a ledge, her mind telling her it was a fallen body, before she spun, and struck the Telethia/Mechon, and her sword bounced off. Screaming in surprise, she ducked as another 'Telethia' flew over her, when it was a small flying Mechon. Turning toward it, she struck it with her sword, destroying it, before she spun again, striking the enemy behind her.

_'What do I do? The Telethia...their...back?!'_ Keyara thought, before she clutched her head, her sword hitting the ground.

Screaming in pain, a beam of red ether flew upwards, and dispersed, a wave of red ether going across the top of the city.

**With Shulk and the others:** Shulk sighed as he wiped the sweat of his forehead, before he handed Reyns' guarder back to him.

"There you go Reyn, good as new." Shulk stated, and Reyn smiled.

"Thanks Shulk, glad ta have you 'round." Reyn complimented, and Shulk grinned.

"No problem. Anyone else need fixing?" Shulk asked, but everyone shook their head, so Shulk shrugged.

"Okay. Hm? Willow, something wrong?" Shulk asked, looking at Willow.

"Does anyone know where Keyara went?" Willow asked, her cold voice having a tinge of curiosity to it.

"I saw her walk closer to the teleportation platform." Fiora answered, standing, and walking toward the two.

Suddenly they heard a scream, and turned right when a beam of ether hit the ceiling and spread across the top.

"Again?!" Reyn shouted, his eyes showing shock.

Alvis gasped, knowing what happened.

"Hurry, we must get to Keyara! She's in danger!" Alvis shouted, and the others nodded, following him.

**With Keyara:** Keyara couldn't seem to control herself, and was shooting white blasts of ether left and right, her mind a haze as though she was fighting the Telethia long ago. She felt ether behind her, and flipped backwards, over what she believed to be a Telethia, which was a Mechon, and destroyed it with an ether blast. She heard another sound behind her, what her mind told her wings, which was actually footsteps. Turning around, she gasped at seeing small horde of two-legged Telethia, and backed away.

"Keyara?" Melia asked, but all Keyara heard was the roaring of Telethia.

"T-telethia, stay away!" Keyara shouted, shooting an ether-blast at them.

Shulk barely dodged, before looking at Keyara in worry. Telethia? Had she lost her mind?

"Keyara, are you okay?" Sharla asked, but Keyara shot one at her, in which Reyn barely blocked her from.

"Damn, there goes the repairs." Reyn grumbled, looking at the scorch mark on his guarder.

Keyara clutched her head again, and that's when Shulk noticed that her eyes were red. The ether...was controlling her again? Keyara screamed, and thrusted an arm out, and held it.

"Everyone, don't attack Keyara!" Shulk shouted, and used Monado-Shield.

"Don't attack?! Shulk, she's lost her mind!" Reyn shouted, Sharla nodding.

"Yes, look at her eyes!" Shulk shouted, unaware Keyara was charging her glove.

"That's right, their red." Dunban noticed, before he saw her glove glow brighter.

"Watch out, Keyaras' about to use Ether Wave!" Melia shouted, blue eyes panicked.

Shulk and the rest groaned as Keyara unleashed her Ether Wave, the attack bouncing off their shield. Keyara screamed in pain and clutched her head again, tears streaming down her face.

"No, make it stop! The voice's...it's too much! Stay away from me Telethia!" Keyara shouted, eyes closed in horror.

"Keyara!" Riki shouted in worry, before Alvis ran at her, dropping his sword, and hugged Keyara.

"ALVIS!" Melia shouted in worry, what would Keyara do?!

Keyara froze, eyes wide, before she began to struggle, believing a Telethia had her in its claws, trapped. Alvis only hugged her tighter, restricting her movement's.

"Keyara, please stop. It's me, Alvis, please...let my voice reach you." Alvis whispered in her ear, and she stopped.

Keyara laid her head against his shoulder, and the ether surrounding her left, even as her eyes went purple, her body returning to normal. Blinking, she groaned, shaking her head, trying to clear her hazy mind.

"A-Alvis? *Gasp* Oh my Bionis, I am so, terribly, sorry everyone! I...I don't...don't k-know what happened. I heard the cries of the Machina I failed to protect...and then..." Keyara trailed off, not sure how to explain it.

"It's okay Keyara, we understand now." Melia said as Sharla ran toward Keyara to check any, possible, wounds.

"The ether of the lingering spirits of the Machina hit you, seeing as you can feel ether. As a result, the ether overwhelmed your mind." Fiora stated, Meyneth telling her what happened.

"I see. Guess it wasn't a good idea to come to the statue." Keyara said, looking at the statue, and Willow sighed, and looked away, anger in her red eyes.

After everything was explained, everyone decided to leave Angiratha, deciding to return to Bionis until Keyara recovered. It seemed Keyaras' past still haunted her...the fact that she felt like a failure to the Machina scarring her mind deeper than they had wanted to believe. But, was that the only thing haunting her? Or was there more?


End file.
